Crossroads
I am scribbling this in between stolen glances and doing so quickly as I wish to get some sleep and then get moving. My mind is racing though it always is after a battle. Shortly down the road from the Last Call, enroute to Khiras we encountered three individuals. One was the man who was spouting anti-ghost rhetoric. He was with a woman and a man in heavy armor. Well I assumed it was a man at the time. They attacked us. Sent by Keli we assumed. Eroch, the man in the armor said he was Eroch and that we should know him. He seemed to be in charge. The man from the bar, a Cleric I discovered, wanted to talk. I love it when they talk. It gives me to time to cast spells. Eroch seemed to know better though. The woman took flight as I got an invisibility off. However that proved be a wasted spell as the cleric countered with a spell that instantly brought me back to visible. Ignoring him I went for the flying woman, a sorceress of some sort. A create pit spell appeared under me and two of Taban's undead things... I avoided the pit but it sent the skeletons to the bottom. There they remained. With my bow drawn I managed to get off a single arrow before the cleric temporarily took me out of the fight. When I came to the fight was still raging. Thinria had awakened me. About this time Gen ran. We would not see Gen for some time. From what my team was saying Thinria fell victim to a hold person spell. However between her natural will power, and aided with one of Taban's hexes she was able to break it quickly and come to my aid. That would of been a bad fight three upon two. But with both of us back up it was back to three upon four. (three on five would of been better, but Gen is clearly not a fighter.) Freed of the sleep spell I soon felt the negative energy wash over me. The cleric hit all of us with one of his abilities. Then he began to heal his friends. I am uncertain what Taban and Arn were doing this. Taban had flown into the air and was doing something to try to keep control of his undead from the man in the armor. He had them tackle him temporarily. He used his spells and abilities well though I am uncertain of the nature of most of them. I believe Arn was fighting with the man in Armor... mind you I could of guessed that if I hadn't been seeing it, but the exact details I am uncertain of. I know they traded some nasty blows. And i saw Arn go down at least once. I think Thinria brought him up. This entire time the sorceress was creating fire and electricity and raining it down upon us. She targeted me a few times, though I managed to avoid most of the damage. Once freed I became frustrated and decided to take the cleric out, least he start using his spells on his allies to keep them healthy. I was especially weary of what would happen if he started pumping his healing spells into the man with the armor. I charged him and my rapier hit home. He swung at me and missed. I hit him again, and again. I avoided his blow and drove my Rapier home ending his life. Arn had badly injured the man in the armor. But he was still up. I changed targets and attacked him. I hit and took him down. Arn had either collapsed or was close to it. I am uncertain if he would of survived another hit. The battle was hectic. I think Thinria brought him up again with her healing magics. She also bathed us all in holy light once or twice, filling us with renewed energy. Celebrations would not last long. For now we faced an uninjured flying sorceress who decided she would rain fire down upon us constantly. I dropped at one point. Thinria brought me up. Between Thinria, Taban and my healing magic we managed to delay her killing us long enough to spread out. I began to sing... using my magic to enhance our weapons and attacks. I hit her, Arn hit her. Then... a card hit her, enhanced with magic. And there standing in a tree was... Variel! I smiled aimed my bow and loosed two arrows. They both hit, she fell. And her evil was ended by Gen. (who had returned dressed as Keli... it was weird.) Variel had some news for us. He heard Keli had sent them for us and he returned to help us as soon as he could. Apparently is father relunctantly sent him. (Why would he?). I am once again left wondering what Yeren's plans for us are exactly. Does part of him want us to succeed? Or did he act only for his son's sake? Would he act on something because Variel wanted it? Or is just that our goals currently coincide with his? I am constantly disturbed by how little we know of that man's motivations and I am frightened by what we do. Frightened isn't the right word. I can't put my finger on it but its not Fear. more like concern. I am not sure I can even feel fear anymore. Why did Variel return? In the past he has been... hesitant to pick a course of action for himself. But for whatever reason he picked this. I have changed a bit since he has been gone. I wonder how he has? I have awkwardly moved my bedroll near him. I am afraid to ask him to join me. Actually I should probably keep watch once I get some sleep. I am far to tired, and among far to many people I barely know to do anything more than sleep but it would be nice to sleep with him against me again... and I would feel safer... Not that I can't defend myself of course. I am Alexandrina Silversmith afterall. But still... I have let my thoughts wander again, and I still have much to write. Of course I am also missing some blood right now, so that might be part of it. Right he fed on me. He was originally relunctant but then he drug me off and fed on me. I had previously offered so I did not mind. Actually its kind of nice to follow once and a while. But suffice it to say this was abit new for him. Apparently Keli has come into conflict with the church of Orcus and the council. She has fled Xaphan after sending her goons for us. However she is now the least of our worries. We have come to the attention of the council. Variel spoke of a relic sword we found. I showed him it. Which I realize was risky, if he had come for any other reason, or under false pretenses... and I did not even second guess it. I never would. I trust him completely. The sword currently hangs from my belt. Possibly a bigger target than the amulet ever was. Anyone who kills us will be given Keli's position. I don't know if I am going to survive this, but what is new? But if I die I want at least someone to understand my thinking. Understand my thought process. Understand me. I think I am going to give Variel this book. Though I am embarassed to think about the things I have wrote before all of this started. Hopefully he won't hate me. I am going to give it to him now and try to get some sleep. I won't go down with out a fight. - Alexandrina Silversmith. PS: I am glad he is back.